XBian provides many 3rd party applications that are precompiled, configured and ready to use with XBian.

Installing them is as easy as using xbian-config, going to category Packages and finding the right one. Then just choose install.

Many applications are in system services running in the background so that you can use full potential of Raspberry and XBian installation. This is achieved through priority control on XBMC process. This happens automatically based on actions that XBMC is currently performing. Examples of such actions are playing a media file, updating library and others.

Some options for dynamic priority control can be set in xbian-config under XBMC.

Also, xbian-config can control which applications and services should be auto starting with the system - category services.

All important XBian services are preconfigured by default. The same applies for others provided by XBian. You can still add any missing ones or those installed by you directly from services category.